Variable-speed gearing.



No. 880,578. PAT NTBfi MAR. 3, 190s.

- v M. SAUNDERS.

VARIABLE SPEED GBARING.

2 sums-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED APLG, 1906.

W maassss.

THE NORRIS PETERS cm, wasumcrom-n. c.

PATENTED MAR. a, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M SAUNDERS VARIABLE SPEED GEARING. APPLICATION FIL ED'APRJG. 1906.

THE uonms PET 0., wAsHmcr'ou. n. c.

MONTAGU SAUNDERS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed April 6. 1906. Serial No. 310.271.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONTAGU SAUNDERS, gentleman, a subject of the Kingof England, residing at 67 Springfield road, St. Johns IVood, London, N.WV England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVariable-Speed Gearing Applicable to Oycles, Motor-Oars, and the Like,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to multiple or variable gearing applicable tobicycles, tricycles, motor cars, and the like.

The description hereinafter contained refers more particularly to thatform of my invention which I propose to apply to bicycles, but I wish itto be understood that I do not thereby intend to restrict my saidinvention to that application only.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown two forms of my saidinvention, Figures I to VI referring to the one form, and Fig. VII tothe other.

The same numbers refer to the same parts in Figs. I to VI, and to thesame or similar parts in Fig. VII.

Fig; I is a longitudinal half-section. Fig. II is a transverse sectionof the line IIII, looking in the direction of the arrow a. Fig. III is asimilar section on the line III III looking in the direction of thearrow 6. Fi IV is a similar section on the line IVIV looking in thedirection of the arrow 0. Fig. V is a similar section on the line VV,looking in the direction of the arrow (1. Fig. VI is a similar sectionon line VIV I looking in the direction of the arrow e. Fig. VII shows amodification.

In Fig. I the back-wheel sprocket 1, (which may, if desired, be a freewheel sprocket of any convenient construction, and is shown indiagrammatic form only),

is mounted upon and adapted to drive the sleeve 2, which carries. theinternallytoothed flanged ring 3. This ring 3 meshes with a pinion orpinions 4, which are also in mesh with the toothed sleeve 5, surroundingthe main axle 6, and are mounted on studs or pivots 7, around which theyrevolve freely, the whole system forming what is known as an epicycletrain.

The studs or pivots 7 are either integral with or are fixed by anyconvenient means to, the annular ring 8, and they may conveniently beformed with heads, attached to a cylinder 9 by suitable means (such as ascrew thread, screwing up to a shoulder),

and at the other-end of the said cylinder there is similarly attachedanother annular ring 8, which also carriesa pinion or pinions 4 suitablymounted onv studs or pivots 7, so as to allow of their revolving freelythereon. The pinions 4 mesh with the internallytoothed ring 3", and alsowith the toothed sleeve 5, forming therewith a second e icyclic train,the proportions whereof may fer from those of the first mentioned train.

The sleeve 5 is connected to the hubshell 10 by a one-way clutch 11 ofany convenient description (contained in the hubside 10), adapted toallow the hub-shell to over-run the said sleeve in the forwarddirection, but to prevent the sleeve, when r0- tated forward, fromover-running the hubshell. The internally-toothed rin 3 may either berigidly attached to the hub-shell by any convenient means (as shown inFig. I), or may be connected by any suitable form of one-way clutch,permitting the hubshell to over-run the said ring in the forwarddirection only.

Rig-idly attached to the sleeve 5 by any convenient means, is an innercylinder 12, which is formed with one or more slots in the direction ofits longitudinal axis, and within this inner cylinder there is placedanother cylinder 13, which while capable of sliding freely into or outof the cylinder 12, cannot revolve around its longitudinal axisindependently of the cylinder 12 by reason of feathers 13 working insaid slots. The sliding cylinder 13 carries at that end thereof which isfurthest away from the sleeve 5, a set of ratchet teeth 14, or the like,adapted to engage with a corresponding set of teeth 14 formed on theannular ring 8", and so shaped as to prevent backward movement of thecylinder 13 (and therefore of the cylinder 12 and the sleeve 5)independently of the annular ring 8, cylinder 9, and ring 8, so long asthe said teeth are in engagement. A spiral spring 15, which mayconveniently be inserted between the backs of the teeth 14, and a flange16 formed on the cylinder 12, tends to keep the teeth 14 normally inengagement with the corresponding set 14. on the annular ring 8 butallows them to be drawn out of engagement by the sliding cylinder 13-telescoping into the cylinder 12. The sliding cylinder 13 also bears, atthat end thereof which is nearest to the sleeve 5, another set ofratchet teeth 17, or the like, adapted to engage with a correspondingset of teeth 18, formed on-the sliding stop 19,

and so shaped as to prevent backward movement of the cylinder 13 (andtherefore of the cylinder 12 and sleeve 5) relatively to the stop 19, solong as the two sets of teeth are in engagement.

The sliding stop '19 is preferably in the form of a short sleeve orcylinder, surround ing the axle 6, along which it is capable of slidingto and fro, within certain limits, but around which it is incapable ofrotating, by

reason of one or more feathers 20 formed,

thereon which fit into corresponding grooves in the stop. The said stopcarries, in addition to the teeth 18, a further set of ratchet teeth 21,adapted to engage with a corresponding set of ratchet teeth 21 on thesleeve 5 and so formed as to'prevent forward motion of the said sleeverelatively to the stop, so long as the two sets of teeth are inengagement.

The teeth 18 and 21 on the stop 19 may be brought into and out ofengagement with the teeth with which they respectively correspond, bysliding the stop along the axle by any suitable means, and the followingmethod may conveniently be employed. The axle 6 is made hollow from'endto end,

and in the bore so formed is inserted a rod 22, or the like, which iscapable of being moved towards either end of the axle. To the end of therod nearest to the sprocket is attached the actuating cable or chain 28,or the like, which passes out of the axle and enables the rider, bysuitable well known means, to draw the rod towards the sprocket. Theother end of the rod 22 projects into the step 24, and carries on itsend a button 25, fixed thereto by any convenient method, and between thesaid button and the end of the axle is placed a spiral spring 26, whichbeing normally under slight compression, tends to keep the rod 22 awayfrom the sprocket end of the axle, but allows it nevertheless to bedrawn towards the sprocket by the cable. Alternatively, the spring maybe contained within the axle in the well known way. The axle 6 isslotted for a small portion of its length between the feathers 20 and apin 27 passing through the said slots, connects the rod 22 to the stop19,

so that any movement of the said rod either towards or away from thesprocket is communicated to the stop.

The axle 6 is rendered incapable of rotation by any convenient means,say by cutting flats upon its ends where they pass through thechain-stays. The only movement of which the stop 19 will be capable willtherespring 26 has drawn the rod 22 to its position furthest away fromthe sprocket. The teeth 21 on the stop 19 are now in engagement with theteeth 21 on the sleeve 5 which is therefore incapable of rotatingforward, and the teeth 14 on the sliding cylinder 13 are also inengagement with the teeth 14 on the annular ring 8 on the other hand,the teeth 17 are out of engagement with the teeth 18. Upon forwardmotion being imparted by the sprocket 1 to the sleeve 2, the epicyclietrain nearest to the sprocket will be driven solid that is to say,without any relative movement between its parts, and the cylinder 9 willbe rotated turn for turn with the sprocket. As, however, the sunwheel onthe sleeve 5 is incapable of rotating forward, the epicyclic train ofwhich it forms part will come into action, and the'ring 3 andconsequently the hub-shell 10, will be driven forward at an increasedrate of speed, as compared with the sprocket. 'If now the stop 19 bedrawn by the changing cable towards the sprocket sufficiently far totake the teeth 21 out of engagement with the teeth 21 but not far-enoughto bring the teeth 17 and 18 into engagement, the epicyclic trainnearest to the sprocket will, when driven forward, still continue torotate solic as before, and the cylinder 9 will still be rotated turnfor turn with the sprocket, but as the sun-wheel on the sleeve 5 is nolonger held stationary, the epicyclic train of which it forms part willalso. be driven solid and the hub-shell will there fore be drivenforward thereby turn for turn with the sprocket. Lastly, if the stop bedrawn still nearer towards the sprocket, so that first the teeth '18 arebrought into engagement with the teeth 17 on the cylinder 13, andsecondly, the teeth 14 on the sliding cylinder 13 are drawn out ofengagement with the teeth 14 on the annular ring 8, the sun-wheel on thesleeve 5 will, by reason of the engagement of the teeth 17 and 18, beunable to rotate backwards, and thus the cylinder 9 will, on the forwarddrive, be rotated forward at a slower rate of speed than the sprocket.But as the epicyclic train nearest to the stop now revolves soli( (as onthe middle or normal speed), the hub shell will bedriven forward at thesame rate of speed only as the cylinder 9, that is to say, at a lowerrate than the sprocket.

All the working parts are preferably mounted on ball bearings, as shownin Fig. I, 28 and 28 being balls of the main bearings, and 29 and 29 theadjusting cones thereof one of the balls of the bearing which comes intoaction, on the high or low speed being employed, is shown at 29 I findit convenient to make the screw-thread on the sprocket end of the axleleft-handed, and that on the other end. right-handed, so as to preventthe adjusting cones from tightening up Lmder rotation. The cylinder 9may be retained in its position laterally by the bearing 30, or othersuitable means, and the sleeves 5 and 5 may conveniently be carried inbearings formed in the rings 8 and S respectively, as shown in Fig. I,the said bearings serving also to keep the said sleeves in their placeslaterally, but of course other suitable means may be employed. If thelast mentioned bearings be used, the balls therein may conveniently beintroduced through a hole bored radially in the said rings, a movableplug being subsequently inserted, the inner end of which forms part ofthe ball race; the said plug may be secured by any convenient means, sayby a set screw partially passing into the said plug, so that the part ofthe ball race thereon may be properly alined.

I prefer to make the teeth 14 on the cylinder 13, and the correspondingset 14 on the annular ring 8 ratchet shaped as described, so as topermit of the low speed being put into action while the machine is beingwheeled backwards, without any risk of damaging the mechanism. I alsoprefer to make the teeth 21 on the stop 19, and the corresponding set 21on the sleeve 5, ratchet shaped as described, although, especially ifeither a free wheel sprocket be employed, or the tooth ring 3 beconnected to the hub-shell by a oneway clutch, this is not essential. Itis essential, however, that the teeth 17 on the sliding cylinder 13 andthe teeth 18 on the stop 19, should be ratchet shaped as described so asto permit of their being brought into contact during the forward drivewhile the teeth 14 on the cylinder 13 are still in engagement with thecorresponding-set 143 on the annular ring 8 and of those latter beingdisengaged, during the forward drive, by the cylinder 13 being drawninto the cylinder 12.

In' the form of my invention above described, I have shown the epicyclictrains caused to drive solid by the temporary locking together of two oftheir members respectively, but it is not essential to my invention thatthe solid drive should be effected by the locking of the two particularmembers as described, the locking of any two which will effect thedesired object being within the spirit of my invention. The same remarkapplies to the modification illustrated in Fig. VII.

I have not, in describing my invention, described any means of movingthe actuating cable, or retaining it in its position, when moved fromtime to time, as such means are well known and commonly used. A slightlymodified form of this mechanism is illustrated in Fig. VII. Theprinciple and operation of this form of the mechanism will abundantlyappear by the description hereinabove given. It may be noticed that thisform, Fig. VII scarcely differs from the other, but will be more easilymanufactured. Comparing the same with Fig. I it will be seen that theparts marked 8 and 9 Fig. I are in Fig. VII repre sented as a singlepiece A I am enabled wholly to dispense with the internal bearing shownat 30 in Fig. I, by substituting therefor the bearing 30*. At B a oneWay clutch is shown between the sprocket wheel 1 and the remainder ofthe mechanism; this is of .known construction and calls for no furtherdescription.

Claims.

1. In a variable speed gear the combination of a fixed axle and a hubshell rotating thereon, with a sprocket wheel, a first epicyclic trainwhereof one member rotates with said sprocket wheel, a second epicyclictrain one member whereof rotates with the driven hub, an intermediatecarrier carrying one member of each train, and means capable of being sooperated as either to prevent relative movement of the members of bothtrains on .the forward drive or to lock either sun-wheel to the fixedaxle on the forward drive and simultaneously cause the train of whichsuch locked sun-wheel forms part to become operative, while the parts ofthe other train remains locked against relative movement.

2. In a variable speed gear the combination of a fixed axle and a hubshell rotating thereon, with a sprocket wheel, afirst epicyclic trainwhereof the outermost member is driven by said sprocket wheel, a secondepicyclic train whereof the outer member is rigidly attached to thedriven hub, a pinion carrier between the two trains, studs on eitherside thereof carrying the planet pinions of said trains, and means beingso operated as either to preventrelative movement of the parts of bothtrains on the forward drive or to lock either sun-wheel to the fixedaxle on said forward drive and simultaneously cause the train of whichsaid locked sun-wheel forms part to become operative, while the parts ofthe other train remains locked against relative movement.

3. A variable speed gear consisting of a non-rotating spindle, a hubshell mounted thereon, an internally toothed wheel driven by the drivingelement and a driven internally toothed Wheel attached to the hubshell,sunwheels, an intermediate carrier, planet pinionsmounted with saidinternally-toothed wheels and sunwheels, a one Way clutch between onesunwheel and said carrier, a one-way clutch between the other sun-wheeland the driven member, and a stop capable of locking either sun wheel tothe spindle, the whole so ar ranged that the pinions are incapable ofbeing disengaged from the internally-toothed wheels and sun wheels.

4:. A variable speed gear consisting of a non-rotating spindle, a hubshell mounted thereon, an internally-toothed wheel driven capable of 4thereon and gearing by the driving element, and a driveninter nallytoothed wheel attached to the hub shell, sun wheels, an intermediatecarrier, planet pinions mounted thereon and gearing with said internallvtoothed wheels and sunwheels, a sliding one way clutch between onesun-wheel and said carrier, a one way clutch between the other sun-wheeland the driven member, and a sliding stop capable of locking eithersun-wheel to the spindle, the whole so arranged that the pinions areincapable of being disengaged from the internally-toothed wheels andsun-wheels.

5. A variable speed gear consisting of a non-rotating spindle, a hubshell mounted thereon, an internally-toothed wheel driven by the drivingelement, and a driven internally toothed wheel attached to the hubshell, sun wheels, an intermediate carrier, planet pinions mountedthereon and gearing with said internally-toothed wheels and sunwheels, asliding spring controlled one way clutch between one sun-wheel and saidcarrier, a one way clutch between the other sunwheel and the drivenmember, and a controlled stop capable of locking either sunwheel to thespindle, the whole so arranged that the pinions are incapable of beingdisengaged from the internally-toothed wheels and sun-wheels.

6. In a variable speed gear the combination with a driven hubshell ofinternallytoothed driving and driven members, an in termediatepinionearrier, two sets of planet pinions and sun-wheels, a lockingdevice between one sun-wheel and said carrier, a oneway clutch betweenthe other sun-wheel and the driven member, a hollow fixed axle, anon-rotating stop sliding thereon, a control rod sliding in said hollowaxle, a cross-pin connecting said rod to said stop, and'rod controllingdevices.

7. In a variable speed gear the combination with a driven hub-shell ofinternallytoothed driving and driven members, an intermediatepinion-carrier, two sets of planet pinions and sunwheels, a lockingdevice between one sun-wheel and said carrier, a one way clutch betweenthe other sun-wheel and the driven member, a hollow fixed axle, anon-rotating stop sliding thereon, a controlrod sliding in said hollowaxle, a cross pin connecting said rod to said stop, a spring a springoperating controlling said rod v in one direction and a pulling devicecontrolling said rod in the other direction.

8. In a variable speed gear the combination with a driven hub-shell ofinternallytoothed driving and driven members, an intermediatepinion-carrier, two sets of planetpinions and sun-wheels, a slidinglocking device between one sun-wheel and said carrier, same, a one-wayclutch between the other sun-wheel and the driven member, a hollow fixedaxle, a non-rotating stop sliding thereon, a control-rod sliding in saidhollow axle, a cross-pin connecting said rod to said stop, a springcontrolling said rod in one direction and a cable controlling same inthe other direction.

9. In a variable speed gear the combination with a driven hub-shell anda hollow nonrotating axle, of a sprocket wheel, an in ternally-toothedwheel carrying same, a sunwheel planet pinions gearing with saidsunwheel and said internally-toothed wheel, a slotted extension of saidsun-wheel, a clutch "element sliding therein having two sets of ratchetteeth. a spring controlling said elemerit, a pinion carrier carrying twosets of pinion-studs on the outer faces thereof and having a set ofratchet teeth on one inner face, a second sun-wheel having ratchet teethon the inner face thereof and one element of a one-way clutch on anouter extension. thereof, a second internally-toothed wheel rigidlyattached to the driven hub and. having the other element of said one-wayclutch thereon, a second set of planet pinions mounted on studs on saidcarrier and gearing with. said second sun and internally-toothed wheels,a sliding non-rotatable stop having two sets of ratchet teeth capable ofengaging with corresponding teeth on clutch element sliding on extensionof first sun-wheel and on second sun-wheel respectively, aspring-controlled shifting rod in hollow axle rigidly connected to saidsliding stop, and operating means attached to said rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

MONTAGU SAUNDERS.

YVitnesses:

BERNHARD Dumas, O'r'ro Socnrn.

